Groundwork Coffee Company

Coffee is the third most sprayed agricultural crop after tobacco and cotton, so buying organic fair-trade beans was of extreme importance to Groundwork Coffee founder Richard Karno when he first started roasting in the current Rose Avenue storefront in 1991.

Behind the nondescript screened swinging doors lies a cozy hideaway packed with a variety of carefully crafted coffees, teas, and accessories. One wall is lined with a refurbished icebox-turned-refrigerator that keeps cold brews, cream sodas, and root beers frosty. The other side is checkered with cubbyholes of beans, including signature blends Black Gold, Bitches Brew, Angel City, and Venice as well as single origins from Ethiopia, Colombia, and Brazil. The earthy wood fixtures and trims reinforce the fresh-from-the-farm motto, and the shelves of vintage coffee pots twinkle with the time and care put into every cup.

Seating space is limited so check the outside benches and miniature garden patio to enjoy the fresh air or even walk next door to Whole Foods for additional organic goods and people watching.